Apparatus for making combs



Feb. 18 1936. J WILCOX 2,031,400

APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMBS Filed Dec. 12, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l KJQ H J. S. WILCOX APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMES Filed Dec. 12, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 f'gi/.

V1751? Z z'Ja'az y ddisxqw' 59 MM Patented Feb. 18, 1936 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMIBS Joseph S. Wilcox, Athol, Mass., assignor to The Wilcox Company, Athol, Mass, a. corporation of Massachusetts Application December 12, 1932, Serial No. 646,856

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for making celluloid combs.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an apparatus by which a superior celluloid comb may be manufactured at a substantial saving of time and labor and consequently at a reduced cost.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My improved apparatus for carrying out certain steps thereof, is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a piece of sheet celluloid slitted to provide two comb blanks;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a comb blank after separation;

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view showing the end teeth in corrected position;

Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of the comb blank, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a pair of forming dies preferably used in carrying out my improved method;

Fig. '7 is an end view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a sectional bottom view, taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a partial sectional plan view, similar to Fig. 8 but showing a comb blank positioned in the lower die;

Fig. 11 is a partial sectional end elevation, taken along the line in Fig. 6 but with a comb blank in position;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but with the dies closed on'the comb blank;

Figs. 13 and 14 are detail longitudinal sectional elevations, taken along the lines |3--|3 in Fig. 11 and |4-|4 in Fig. 12 respectively, and

Fig. 15 is a plan view or a portion of a comb after removal from the forming dies.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, I first take a piece of sheet celluloid S of a desired thickness and form a plurality of slits |1 therein, preferably by use of a special slitting machine which, however, forms no part of my present invention.

After the sheet S has been thus provided with the slits I1, the two parts of the sheet are separated along the lines of the slits, thus providing two comb'blanks B from each slitted sheet S These blanks B have the general outline of the finished comb, with the exception that one end tooth |8 of each blank is widely spaced from its adjacent comb tooth l9, as indicated at the left in Fig. 3. 5

Having thus prepared the blank B, the first necessary step is to soften the end tooth |8 by the application of heat thereto and to bend the tooth I 8 to the aligned position indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, with the tooth l8 properly spaced and located with respect to the next adjacent tooth IS. The blank B is then placed in a pair of forming dies illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 to 14 inclusive.

These dies comprise fixed and movable die members and 2| (Figs. 6 and 7) mounted on relatively heavy die supports 22 and 23. Guide studs 25 are mounted in the lower die support 22 and these studs are a sliding fit in aligned openings 26 in the upper die support 23.

The lower die member 20 is preferably provided with a raised portion 30 (Figs. 7 and 8) in which a plurality of tooth recesses 3| (Figs. 8 and 13) are formed. The upper die member 2| is similarly provided with a downwardly projected portion 32 having a plurality of tooth recesses 33 (Figs. 9 and 13). A guide-bar 35 (Fig. 7) is secured to the lower die member 20 and aids in locating the back edge of the comb blank B When the blank is inserted as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11.

Pairs of spacing pins (Figs. 8 and 13) are located between each two adjacent tooth recesses 3|, and additional end positioning pins 4| (Fig. 8) are mounted at the ends of the member 35 20. Openings 42 (Figs. 9 and 13) are provided in the upper die member 2| in alignment with the pins 40 and 4| and loosely receive these pins when the dies are closed.

The tooth recesses 3| and 33 are rounded at the bottom and top respectively as clearly shown in Figs. 13 and 14 and are also rounded at the ends of the recesses as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Furthermore, the edges of the raised portions 30 and 32 are beveled along. the side nearer to the guide-bar 35 as indicated at 45 in Fig. 7.

Having provided dies constructed as above described and having prepared a comb blank as indicated in Figs. 3 to 5, the blank B is then placed on the lower die 20 as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11, with the back edge of the blank abutting the guide-bar 35 and with the teeth of the blank positioned by the pairs of pins 40 and the end pins 4|.

When the teeth are thus located, they are in the desired spaced relation which they will occupy in the finished product. Before thus positioning the comb blank B, the blank is heated to a temperature high enough to substantially soften the celluloid material.

After the heated blank B is thus positioned, the upper die member 2| is moved downward and is caused to apply substantial pressure to the blank B, causing the teeth I8 and H! to be forced into the tooth recesses 3| and 33 and to be simultaneously changed from the rectangular cross section of Figs. 3 to 5 to the substantially rounded or elliptical cross section of Figs. 14 and 15.

As the dies 20 and 2i are unheated, the blank B quickly cools after being forced into the tooth recesses 3| and 33, after which the blank is removed for polishing or other desired finishing operations.

It will be noted that the comb teeth l8 and I9 are not only rounded in cross section by the forming operation, but that the ends of the teeth are also rounded and pointed and that the edge of the comb back is beveled between the teeth as indicated at 50 in Fig. 15.

I am thus able to completely form and point the teeth of a celluloid comb direct from the slitted blank by the simple process of heating the blank and pressing the blank between the dies 20 and 2|, which dies are themselves preferably in an unheated condition. A celluloid comb of superior grade and with carefully shaped and pointed teeth can be thus produced at a substantial saving in time and labor as compared with the best previous practice.

Having thus described my invention and. the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:-

Apparatus for making a comb comprising a pair of dies having tooth recesses therein separated by intervening raised portions and a plurality of tooth-locating pins in one die positioned in said intervening raised portions and effective to hold the previously separated teeth of a comb blank in predetermined spaced positions prior to and during the application of the second die thereto, and said second die having corresponding openings in its intervening raised portions to receive said pins as said dies approach each other.

' JOSEPH S. WILCOX. 

